Very irritating pink or red buttons have appeared in your ankles and calves? It may be a chip bite …
We count more than 100 species of fleas in France. But only some rub shoulders with us. This is a common problem, especially in houses housing pets such as cats or dogs. When they are hungry, fleas can sting man and feed on his blood. We distinguish the wood chip called so because it tends to lodge between the sleeves of the parquet. They refer to the fleas of cat, dog or bird. But if they are hungry, these chips can also prick man; and the bed chip which is not a kind of chip but a bedbug wrongly called “flea”.
In France, the most commonly encountered species of fleas (wood) is Ctenocephalides Felis. She is able to reproduce both on the cat and on the dog. But she can also eat human blood. In fact, it is mainly the young adult chips who could not eat for several months, for lack of nearby mammals, which attack the calves and the ankles of humans. They spot their potential host thanks to their movements: in particular thanks to the vibrations, the carbon dioxide and the heat released by it. If the chip does not receive any signal in the environment, it can remain latent for at least six months. But when a host is nearby, an animal or a human, she jumps at the opportunity and the attack to eat. These chips still in development and awaiting prey Generally hide in small corners such as the slats of the parquet. Babies and young children are particularly at risk of being bitten, especially when they play on the ground, on the carpet, carpets or parquet.
The chip bitters are manifested by:
- Skin eruptions: the appearance of pink or red pimples (with a more lively point in the center) often located in the ankles or feet.
- Strong immediately itching: this irritation reaction is due to the saliva of the chip.
- On the other hand, the chip bite is not painful and does not swell, unlike the bites of other insects.
- In case of scratch, the pimples can be infected: crusts may appear and the area around the bite can become painful.
In animals, the presence of chip is not always visible. The cat, for example, generally do not have clinical signs. On the other hand, dogs can scratch, make small leaps during a bite or bite to try to catch the fleas. To find out if your animals and your house are infested, you have to look for the presence of flea excrement that has a dark red crystalline appearance.
Fleas generally sting two or three times the same area. They usually bite in the lower legs, ankles or feet.
- The plague. In some developing countries, fleas can transmit the plague to humans after having stung an infected rat. However in Europe, this transmission has almost disappeared because the rats carrying the plague have deserted cities.
- Zoonosis. The rat chip can transmit the typhus murin. Provided by the Rickettsia Typhi and R. Felis bacteria, this pathology manifests itself in large chills, headaches and a fever which lasts ten days. Skin rashes can also appear on the chest and then on the arms and legs. This bacterial infection is benign in the majority of cases.
- Cat claws disease. The chip can also transmit to the cat the disease of cat claws which can then infect man by scratch or bite. The infected chip can also inoculate the bacteria directly to humans. This bacterial infection manifests itself by the appearance of one or more large nodes or a papule, accompanied by redness, headache and fever. An infection that can be complicated with damage to the heart.
- Parasitosis or intestinal worms. The cat or dog chip can be responsible for parasitosis, such as infection by the solitary worm, also called Ténia, via its excrement. Young children are the most affected because they put their hands on their mouths after caressing the animals or playing on the ground. This infection is characterized by abdominal pain, or a weight loss while the person feeds properly.
Infected areas should be cleaned and disinfected With water and an antiseptic lotion. In the case of Murin typhus or cat claws, treatment consists of take antibiotics. Antibiotic therapy can also be prescribed if the lesions caused by the chip bite are are infected. This makes it possible to relieve the fever that may appear in case of infection.
In the event of an allergic reaction to the saliva of the flea, consult a doctor who can prescribe a antihistamine To calm itching. In the case of infection by the solitary ver, the doctor will prescribe specific antiparasitaires available only on prescription.
To eliminate this real scourge, the first step is to treat the infected animal with products recommended by the veterinarian (collar, powder, etc.). The second is vacuum in all corners of the house And pass a detergent on the ground in order to exterminate the eggs, larvae and young adults who quietly mature between the blades of the prosecution. It is also strongly advised to Frequently wash your bedding, sofa cover, animal cushions, but also your clothes at 60 ° C minimum.
